seeds of betrayal

[kiricat4001]

No: HPFGUIDX 149606

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Sherry Gomes" <sherriola at ...> 
wrote:

<massive snippage> 
> I think it would be unrealistic to think Snape didn't feel 
resentment
> against DD for always supporting the marauders.  They weren't 
thrown out of
> school after the so-called prank.  Granted, JKR has said there is 
more to
> know about the prank, but in Snape's mind, it was a plot to kill 
him.  For
> some reason, Sirius was not expelled for the prank, and Snape 
could very
> well have resented that fact.  

Marianne:

I hope we will be told not only the definitive backstory of the 
prank, but also the immediate aftermath.  From the incomplete story 
we currently have I can't believe that DD didn't assign some sort of 
punishment to Sirius. I can see Snape not only resenting that Sirius 
was not expelled, but that possibly James received no punishment.  
Which of course would rankle if Snape believed that James and Sirius 
were both involved up to their necks.

I also wonder how DD handled the explanations afterwards.  We know 
that he doesn't always explain things to people.  Did he merely tell 
Snape "Sirius said he was solely responsible and I believe him" 
without making more of an effort to make Snape see that this was the 
truth?  Sort of in the manner of his "I trust Snape" statements to 
Harry which Harry is supposed to accept on blind faith.  

Sherry:
  And we know Snape can hold
> those grudges, cling to his anger and hurt for years.  And then 
again, DD
> takes the part of that same Marauder, Sirius.  Against Snape's own 
words, DD
> very obviously believes what Harry and Sirius have told him.  
Again, Snape's
> feelings are being overlooked by his headmaster in defense of 
those hateful
> marauders and Harry.

Marianne:
At what point would Snape come to know about DD's Legilimens 
abilities?  Since the only canon we have of DD actually talking to 
Sirius about the events surrounding the Potters' deaths was during 
that off-screen conversation in PoA when Sirius is locked in 
Flitwick's office waiting to be Kissed, I'm assuming that DD could 
have used Legilimency to probe Sirius's thoughts to try to acertain 
whether his story was true.  

Would DD, after the fact, have taken Snape aside and tried to 
explain, that, yes, Sirius was indeed innocent? Or did DD perhaps, 
once again, expect Snape to take his word of things on faith?  
Which, to Snape, would be a perfect echo of what he had heard in the 
aftermath of the Prank? 

Sherry:
I present the theory that it was a very personal
> grudge, a very personal resentment, that caused Snape to fire that 
curse at
> DD.  All the years of Dumbledore's betrayal, in Snape's mind, 
having to do
> things he might not like to do, whether it's spying or helping 
Harry, take
> your pick.  But I think it's a deep seated very personal 
resentment, that
> Snape has had simmering inside him against DD, and at last he had 
his
> chance.  He was certainly not going to let himself die with that 
now weak
> and foolish old man at his mercy. the weak old man who has always 
taken the
> side of Snape's enemies against Snape and yet expected 
unquestioning
> loyalty.  With what we know of Snape, I see this as a very likely
> possibility for why Snape murdered Dumbledore.

Marianne:
Not being a DDM Snape person either, I'm certainly happy with this 
theory;-).  But, does this seem Snapeish to other people, that all 
of his resentments would have finally reached a breaking point at 
that moment on the Tower?  

I can see this fitting into the redemption scheme that JKR has 
hinted about, where I assume Snape will not be the one to be 
redeemed (Draco will be).  Snape could not ultimately let go of all 
the wrongs (real and imagined) that were done to him in the past and 
he ends up killing DD.

Marianne, reluctantly commenting on Snape